Paradise on fire

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Summary

Bronx middle-grader Addy, who struggles with a family tragedy by drawing maps and studying mazes, joins other city youngsters on a wilderness adventure in California that turns deadly when wildfires erupt.

Published Reviews

Booklist Review: "Due to a tragic fire that took the lives of her parents, Addy is obsessed with creating escape maps and mazes. To help Addy continue to heal, her Grandma Bibi enrolls her at Wilderness Adventures, a summer camp in California where city kids can experience camping, hiking, and rock climbing. Addy is reluctant initially but quickly makes friends with campers Jay and Nessa (all three are Black). Recognizing a kindred spirit, the camp owner takes Addy under his wing and helps nurture her budding love of wilderness while they hike trails every morning before sunrise. When a massive forest fire engulfs Eagle's Ridge during the group's final camping trip, Addy must confront her past and rely on her friends to survive. People of color have not historically featured in wilderness stories, which makes this title refreshing, especially in light of national conversations around racial equity in outdoor spaces. A strong read-alike for Gary Paulsen fans or older kids who have graduated from the I Survived series but are still seeking a thrilling survival story."
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Publisher's Weekly Review: "Inspired by real events, Parker Rhodes (Black Brother, Black Brother) makes her entrée into climate fiction with the story of narrator Adaugo (Addy), a Black 15-year-old from the Bronx. Living with an overwhelming fear of fire after losing her parents to one at the age of four, Addy copes by constantly drawing maps and plotting escape routes in case of emergency. When Addy's Nigerian Grandma Bibi signs her up for Wilderness Adventures in California, Addy expects to be the odd one out; instead, though, she makes friends and falls in love with nature. But a wildfire soon endangers the woods and the people she has come to cherish, and Addy must count on her maps and newfound survival skills to save everyone she can. Addy's character-driven narrative offers a broad picture of her motivations--including a post-traumatic mindset that's focused on survival--yet leaves little room for the explicit development of relationships on which the story's emotional heft eventually relies. If the negative impact of human activity on the environment sometimes dominates the story, Parker Rhodes believably explores one Black city girl's discovery of the wilderness around her. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8--12. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (Sept.)"
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Additional Information

Subjects	Wilderness areas Fiction Wildfires Fiction Survival Fiction Grief Fiction Orphans Fiction African Americans Fiction Grief Juvenile fiction Juvenile Literature Juvenile Fiction
Publisher	[Place of publication not identified] :Little, Brown Books for Young Readers,2021 Little, Brown Books for Young Readers2021
Edition	First edition.
Contributors	OverDrive, Inc.
Audience	Ages 8-12.
Language	English
System Details	Mode of access: World Wide Web. Format: Adobe EPUB eBook Format: Kindle Book Format: OverDrive Read Requires Adobe Digital Editions or Amazon Kindle
Description	1 online resource
Bibliography Notes	Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN	9780316493840 0316493848
Other	Classic View